Laguna Seca returns to the World Superbike calendar in 2013 Rome (Italy), Friday 21 September 2012 Following a three-year agreement between Infront Motor Sports and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the United States Round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the Californian circuit next season and in 2014 and 2015. The confirmed date for the 2013 event will be 27-29 September, and it marks the return of the championship to the spectacular Monterey circuit for the first time after an eight-year absence. The last World Superbike round was held at Laguna Seca in 2004. Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, declared: “We are absolutely delighted to be returning to Laguna Seca for the US Round for the first time since 2004. Over the ten-year period in which we were last there, we witnessed an extraordinary growth in interest and in overall attendance and we are sure that this event will once again become one of the most prestigious on the calendar. The return of Laguna Seca to the Superbike World Championship, with its six competing manufacturers, will definitely be a boost to the championship’s growth in the US market as California has a special tradition and offers significant opportunities for the motorcycle industry, sponsors and media.” “We have a strong history with World Superbike and are thrilled to have them commit to a three-year race schedule,” says Gill Campbell, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/general manager. “Their return to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca solidifies our position as THE premier circuit in the U.S. for motorcycle racing.” About the FIM Superbike World Championship The FIM Superbike World Championship features a high number of riders, teams and manufacturers (Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki), racing with high-performance bikes that are similar to those available on the market for normal everyday road use. The championship’s well-tried formula of two races at each round, Pirelli’s one-make tyre supply, as well as stable technical regulations over the years, have helped World Superbike become a truly exciting spectacle for millions of TV spectators and fans around the world. Media coverage of the FIM Superbike World Championship is firmly established worldwide and is helping to align the strength of the series across the scale. Overall, under Infront’s tenure, live coverage has increased steadily since 2007 and the number of broadcast partners has grown by 40 per cent. In 2011, the series reached a cumulative audience of 460 million viewers with 3,300 broadcast hours worldwide. More, from a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Announces Homecoming for World Superbike After Eight Year Hiatus, World Superbike Returns MONTEREY, Calif., September 21, 2012 Next year’s race schedule for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is shaping up to be the best season ever for motorcycle race fans with organizers announcing today that the eni FIM Superbike World Championship will be joining the MotoGP World Championship on the 2013 calendar. World Superbike will take place September 27-29, 2013 and is the series’ only U.S. appearance. “We are thrilled to have World Superbike commit to a three-year race schedule at Mazda Raceway and the Monterey Peninsula,” says Gill Campbell, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/general manager. “We have a strong history together and their return solidifies our position as THE premier circuit in the U.S. for motorcycle racing.” World Superbike competes in 12 countries with 14 races, fielding a typical grid of two dozen skilled international riders on six competitive manufacturer brands. Each round has two races and the results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for riders and one for manufacturers. “We are absolutely delighted to be returning to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the U.S. round for the first time since 2004,” said Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports. “Over the period in which we were last there, we witnessed an extraordinary growth in interest and in overall attendance and we are sure that this event will once again become one of the most prestigious on the calendar, with six manufacturers competing. The return of Mazda Raceway to the Superbike World Championship calendar will definitely be a boost to the championship’s growth in the U.S. market as California has a special tradition and offers significant opportunities for the motorcycle industry, sponsors and media.” With only two more races on the calendar, the battle for the championship is virtually down to three riders, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team), Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team). However, Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) and reigning World Superbike Champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) still mathematically have a chance at the title. In the Manufacturers competition Aprilia is on top of the standings with BMW just 7.5 points behind, followed by Ducati at minus 42.5 and Kawasaki at minus 62. Tickets for World Superbike at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will go on sale in December and will be available online at www.MazdaRaceway.com or by calling the ticket office at 800.327.7322.